CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) — Maryland utility regulators are holding a public hearing on a disputed wind farm proposal in western Maryland.

The Public Service Commission hearing Wednesday night in Cumberland is the first of two opportunities to comment on the long-delayed, 17-turbine project proposed for Dan’s Mountain, southwest of Cumberland.

A subsidiary of U.S. Wind Force has been trying since at least 2009 to build what would be the first wind farm in Allegany County.

The project was blocked by land-use restrictions that the developer now aims to override by convincing regulators that the wind farm is a public necessity.

Opponents have raised concerns about the turbines’ effects on wildlife, outdoor recreation, aesthetics and emergency communications.